1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to improvements of a content playback apparatus and content playback method, which allow to acquire and play back desired content by accessing a specific site via a network such as the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, in recent years, a switchover from analog television broadcasting to digital has been underway. For example, in Japan, in addition to digital direct broadcasting by satellite (digital DBS), terrestrial digital broadcasting has begun.
Nowadays, a technique for delivering content including video and audio data via the Internet is put into practical use. Especially, a so-called video on demand (VOD) service has prevailed. That is, with this service, when the user requests a specific site to provide desired content, the specific site individually provides the requested content to the user.
For this reason, a digital broadcast receiving apparatus which receives the aforementioned digital television broadcasting tends to mount a function that supports the VOD service, i.e., a function of accessing a specific site via a network to request to provide desired content, and receiving and playing back content transmitted from that specific site.
In such a digital broadcast receiving apparatus which can receive content via the network, upon accessing the specific site via the network, a service other than that provided by that specific site can be browsed, and content provided by that service can also be acquired.
However, when the user repeats operations to browse a service other than that provided by the specific site, and to browse another service linked in that service, he or she often jumps to another site other than the specific site he or she accessed first, and browses a service on that site without even noticing.
In such case, when the user inputs his or her user identification (ID) and password to log on to a service to be browsed, user's personal information may externally leak. Especially, when the user jumps to a malicious site, a serious problem for the user may be posed.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2008-193284 discloses a technique which creates a video content list that sorts video content of the VOD service based on predetermined rules such as ranking, new arrivals, viewing histories, and the like, and sequentially receives and plays back a plurality of video content items in the video content list by operating a channel up or down button of a remote controller.
Also, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-106928 discloses an access prevention technique which always displays information of an owner (company) of a currently accessed site, and allows the user to confirm if he or she is accessing a site he or she intended, thereby reducing the risk of becoming a victim of phishing.